Wayne Co. Schools To Continue Participation in Free Breakfast & Lunch Program

The Wayne County School District recently announced that the program for free and reduced-price meals for children served in schools under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program will continue. For school year 2026-2027, the Wayne County School District will continue participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This USDA provision allows all students in Wayne County schools to participate in the school meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

CEP is a key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which allows schools and school districts to eliminate school meal applications and serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to all enrolled students. CEP gives food service professionals within the schools more time to focus on preparing nutritious meals that students will enjoy and gives students more time to eat those meals by reducing time spent in the lunch line. ALL students are offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch at no cost.

CEP helps ensure more students come to class well-nourished and ready to learn. It is a proven fact that children need healthy meals and good nutrition to learn. Wayne County schools offer healthy meals every school day. Breakfast and lunch meals will follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals, so please encourage students to participate.

Parents or guardians who need further information may contact Leigh Ann Sinclair, Child Nutrition Program Director, 931.722.3548, leigh.sinclair@waynetn.net.